I think everyone is being a bit hard on Brian. I'm sure he knows what Independence Day is all about, but he was just writing about the joyful childhood ritual of setting off fireworks.

When we visited out relatives in Texas at Christmas time it was the local custom to set off fireworks for the whole holiday season. I didn't forget the meaning of Christmas, but I had a lot of fun setting off fireworks for a week.

Well here in South Africa we do not have an Independence Day and what we have in common with the US is fighting the British and there was actually a couple of things that the British did in SA that is still a very sore matter but I don't want to bring that up now. We in SA have a Freedom Day. The day that SA was freed of apartheid and since someone has posted the US national anthem, I would like to post ours. Before I do I'd like to say that it consists of 5 languages. isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Afrikaans (Dutch) and English. I like the patriotism that I read here and yes, I feel the same.

To come to my second point. Fireworks has never been a favorite of mine since people tend to forget the animals. I fear days like Guy Fawkes, Christmas and New Year cause I know how afraid my dogs get when the fireworks start. Not all people are considerate of pets.

Manie VersterDeveloperJohannesburgSouth Africa

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Holy BibleI am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times. - Everett Mckinley Dirkson (Well, I am trying. - Manie Verster)

For God's sake, lets go a bit easier on Brian who was clearly talking about the holiday side of Independence Day. I find it very unfair to go after the guy about the deeper meaning of Independence Day when he is very clearly talking about the celebration and tradition involved with fireworks.

This equally clearly shows that some people need a good M80 placed in their ear canal, a bottle rocket up their nose and a Roman Candle shoved up their.... nevermind...

There's no such thing as dumb questions, only poorly thought-out answers...

This is fascinating. We have a guest editorial about fireworks on the 4th of July. Then answers from a few of us that feel strongly about the value of discussing the meaning of the 4th of July rather than just a method of celebrating. I have not seen any attacks on Brian, just discussions from people with a differing opinion. Now a differing opinion justifies an M80, or bottle rocket, or Roman Candle? It was very clear to me as "blandry" stated that Brian was talking about the "holiday side" of Independence Day. I personally feel it would be good to always include in the discussion, the REASON for celebrating the day.

Re: "attacks". To be honest, I did use the words, "silly", "sophomoric" and "juvenile" in my original response to the "guest editorial". I guess in a hypersensitive world, those words MIGHT be considered attacks, though of a different sort, and considerably different threat level, than the suggestion that someone might want to insert various explosive devices in different parts of my body because I hold a different point of view from them.

Oh, and there is one other little complication here. I made the assertion that freedom of expression--which was guaranteed in part by the efforts of men like Francis Scott Key--applies equally to statements which I find "silly", "sophomoric" and "juvenile", as well as to statements which I find offensive, and even to those which are vaguely threatening. That last one is a bit more difficult for me to accept inasmuchas I was one of the targets of the statement , but I do so because I doubt the threat to shove fireworks up my nose was made seriously.